Hedayat Osyan, the founder of social enterprise CommUnity Construction, has been awarded the 2024 Australia for UNHCR-SBS Les Murray Award for Refugee Recognition. The award, now in its third year, acknowledges the significant contributions of refugees to Australian society. Osyan, a former refugee from Afghanistan, established CommUnity Construction seven years ago to assist refugees struggling to find work in the construction industry due to language barriers.

Since its inception in 2017, CommUnity Construction has trained 90 refugees from various countries, with 60 now employed in construction and four having established their own companies. Osyan, from the persecuted Hazara community in Afghanistan, fled to Australia in 2009 after the Taliban attacked his village and detained his father. In his spare time, Osyan assists recently arrived Afghan orphans to settle into Australian life and has secured a grant for young refugees to have a place to play football and access uniforms.

"The Les Murray Award is now in its third year and SBS is proud to sponsor this important award," said James Taylor, Managing Director of SBS. "I congratulate Hedayat Osyan for his many achievements and commitment to providing work for a vulnerable community that needed a trusted partner to help them build pathways for their careers and livelihoods."

Trudi Mitchell, CEO of Australia for UNHCR, echoed Taylor's sentiments, stating, "Hedayat identified a key need in the community and has since empowered dozens of refugees to become self-sufficient. The judges were impressed by his determination to make a difference in a very tangible way."

Osyan's mission is clear. "We help refugees thrive and become independent," he said. "We want to prove refugees are resilient, hard workers and bring new skills to society if you give them an opportunity."

Winning the Les Murray Award was a significant moment for Osyan. "Winning the Les Murray Award was the most exciting and happy moment," he said. "I really admire Les Murray’s work in Australia. He made a huge contribution to Australian media and to other refugees. Being selected for the award is a huge achievement for me."

Osyan's journey has been guided by his father's advice. "My father believed that we can change the world through education. I followed his advice. I went to Canberra to study politics and international relations," he said.

Osyan's work has had a profound impact on the refugees he has helped. "They have a sense of belonging," he said. "This kind of work gives me lots of energy."

The Les Murray award was judged by Australia for UNHCR CEO Trudi Mitchell, UNHCR Regional Representative Adrian Edwards, SBS Editor of Australia Explained Roza Germian, and Australia for UNHCR Board Member Lynn Dang.